V-J Day celebration in Times Square

On Friday,  just a little more than a year since President Obama declared an end to the U.S. combat role in Iraq, the President announced that the last American troops in Iraq will be gone by January 1.

The war in Iraq will effectively, finally, be over, he says--the longed-for goal of most Americans.

When President Truman declared the complete end of World War II on August 15, 1945 (V-J Day), American citizens went wild; office buildings emptied out; there was dancing (and kissing) ... Read more... 

One million malnourished children (Liberate THIS, Part 4) 

Most of my cousins were born after my immediate family left Iraq in 1977.  I had never met them, and I had only faint memories of aunts and uncles, as well as my paternal grandmother who had already passed away in 1979. 

I knew I had many relatives suffering under desperate conditions in Iraq, but I was emotionally, as well as geographically, distant from their pain.  With English as my one and only language, I couldn't speak with them on the phone even if U.S. and U.K. forces hadn't bombed the telecommunications centers.

By guest author John Hess

When you hear chants like "How do you solve the deficit? End the wars and tax the rich!" and "They got bailed out, we got sold out," you are in the company of people with a very good understanding of the current situation-neatly summed up in the chant "We are the 99%!"

Where all this will lead, we don't yet know. But there seems to be a growing wave of discontent that first showed itself in Wisconsin. I read that demonstrations of support for Occupy Wall Street have occurred in over 100 cities and that mini-occupations like Occupy Boston are spreading, even to Europe.

generationOn 2011 video

During October children all over the world have been working for change. Have you made your mark?

The Make Your Mark worldwide campaign asks children and adults to sign a pledge to help make a change in their local communities.

The campaign encourages young people to become passionate about social issues--e.g., animal welfare, human rights, and the environment.
Children have donated clothes to shelters, cleaned up their local areas, and helped other children learn to read.      

Parents can encourage their own children to get involved, or use this initiative in local schools or youth groups to empower children from a young age.  

Don't limit it to October. Remember that you matter and you can make your mark all year round!  Join thousands of people from all over the world and sign the pledge here.